THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN MADRID, SPAIN

THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN MADRID, SPAIN

This blog post is all about the best things to do in Madrid, Spain, what to see in Madrid, where to eat the best vegan food in Madrid and unique things to do in Madrid.

This is the perfect 3-day itinerary for Madrid, Spain. Madrid is an absolute dream and amazing city to visit for a weekend. We recently spent 4 days there and enjoyed it thoroughly as I’m sure you will too! Without further ado, here are the best things to do in Madrid, Spain.

where to eat in madrid – the best things to do in madrid, spain

La Oveja Negra, C. de Buenavista, 42 – we absolutely loved this vegan taberna in the hip Lavapies neighborhood. The food was delicious and the anarchist, feminist, cruelty-free message was on point. We highly suggest you support this amazing locally-owned restaurant!

Pizzi & Dixie, C. de San Vicente Ferrer, 16 – we didn’t have time to visit this adorable vegan Italian food spot, but the restaurant comes highly rated on Happy Cow and on the Vegan Travel websites. It looks like their pizza is outstanding!

Los Andenes Vegan, C. de Fernández de los Ríos, 43 – you must go here! The food is flavorful, fantastic and the ambience is joyful. We love Peruvian food and I’m constantly craving papas a la huancaina after having it frequently while in Peru in 2018. While this restaurant is a bit far from the tourist areas, it’s definitely worth a visit. 

Santa y Pura, C. de Sta. Isabel, 27 – this is a lovely place for vegan tapas and it’s close to Paseo del Prado and the museums. 

Mad Mad Vegan, C. Lavapies 16 – we went to the Lavapies location (they have another location in Chueca). We got the cauliflower wings, a burger and caesar salad. It was all delicious and it was fun to walk around the Lavapies area and find the street art near Embajadores.

Delish Vegan Donuts, C. Cristo, 3 – we didn’t make it here, sadly, but people RAVE about their vegan donuts. It seems like they have many specialty donuts to try. Next time we travel to Madrid, we will definitely go here.

Bunny’s Deli, C. San Gregorio, 17 – this is one of the few places that opens early (10:00 a.m.). They serve high quality, artisanal vegan and gluten-free food. This is a must-visit, esp if you have gluten allergies.

the vegan place we went to many times

Freedom Cakes, C. de Cádiz, 7 – this diner was really close to our hotel so we went here a few times. They are open everyday from 9:00 a.m.-midnight. This makes it so easy to visit! Their waffles and pancakes are outrageous with delicious puffs of cream and a plethora of choices. Their brunch special is also amazing. We highly recommend this restaurant, esp for breakfast/brunch! It’s also nice that it’s really close to Plaza del Sol and Barrio de Las Letras.

vegan tapas in madrid

B13, C. de la Ballesta, 13 – this is the perfect greasy, messy bar food. The prices are amazing and the food is delicious. Make sure to get there right when they open so you get a table and take cash. My favorite dish was the salchipapas.

Chicken of the Woods, C. de la Palma, 63 – this place was definitely in our top 3 vegan restaurants in Madrid. The food was fresh, innovative and creative. Get the freaky yucca fries and the arepas/tapas of the day – you’ll thank me later! 

Cookaluzka, C. de Lira, 8 – I really wanted to go here, but unfortunately, we ran out of time and they are located a bit further out. Their food comes highly rated on Happy Cow and the Vegan Travel Facebook page. Next time we visit Madrid, we will definitely go here.

El Perro Gamberro, C. Benito de Castro, 4 – I really wanted to go here, but unfortunately, we ran out of time and they are located quite far from the tourist area. Their food comes highly rated on Happy Cow and the Vegan Travel Facebook page. Next time we visit Madrid, we will definitely go here.

vegan stores in madrid

Veggie Room, C. de San Vicente Ferrer, 19 – we didn’t make it here, but we are definitely going here on our next trip! An all-vegan grocery store? Yes please!

Planeta Vegano, C. del Ave María, 34 – we stocked up on vegan treats here. It was fun to see what they had that we haven’t seen in Portugal. The prices were decent and we bought quite a few things to take back to Portugal with us.

Only Vegan, Pl. de Chueca, 5 – this adorable store in the LGBTQ+ friendly Chueca area was small, but full of amazing vegan finds. Don’t miss this one!

what to do in madrid – the best things to do in madrid, spain

Buen Retiro Park and Crystal Palace (see the observatory too) – Grand Pond, Plaza de la Independencia, 7 – I loved, loved, loved this grand park! I probably could have spent our entire trip at this park. It’s immense and opulent and there is so much to do! It gets quite busy on weekends, but is much calmer during the week. Definitely allocate a couple of hours for this lavish park! This park is absolutely in the best things to do in Madrid, Spain list!

el buen retiro park is a must-visit

Rent a little boat in Retiro Park + Monument Alfonso XII, La Rosaleda (roses), Jardines de Cecilio Rodriguez – these are more things to do in El Buen Retiro park. We were seriously impressed with this park and highly recommend a visit. If the weather is nice, you could rent a boat on the little lake. Or this fun walking tour!

Puerta de Alcalá – this huge arch is ornate and gorgeously surrounded by colorful flowers. We walked to Puerta de Alcalá and then entered El Buen Retiro park so we could start farther away and walk towards where our hotel was located. 

Real Jardin Botanico, Plaza de Murillo, 2 – we didn’t go to the Jardin Botanico as we preferred to spend most of our time in El Buen Retiro park, right next door. On our next visit, we will visit the botanical garden.

Paseo del Prado – this leafy street is one of the main boulevards in Madrid. It runs north–south between the Plaza de Cibeles and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, with the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo lying approximately in the middle. It’s a fun area to observe daily life in Madrid.

Royal Palace and Gardens (FREE M-Th 4-6 p.m.) C. de Bailén – we didn’t make it here as we had to choose between Museo del Prado and here and the Museum won. We will absolutely visit the Royal Palace on our next visit. However, we DID walk by the palace and go to the lookout nearby. We also happened upon a group of dancers performing nearby and enjoyed their free show. If you don’t want to worry about securing your free spot, you could book this super fun tour: Royal Palace Tour.

the most visited areas in madrid

Plaza Mayor – this is one of the oldest plazas in Madrid and is considered the center of Old Madrid. We only spent a few minutes here as it was quite crowded. It’s definitely a must-visit, esp since it’s near Puerta del Sol.

Puerta del Sol – they were doing construction work here while we visited so we didn’t get to see it in its glory, but all the more reason to visit again, eh?! This is probably the busiest area of Madrid as it seems to be a meeting point for groups.

El Oso y el Madroño (near Puerta del Sol) – check out this adorable bear with the strawberry tree sculpture near Puerta del Sol.

Mercado de San Miguel, Pl. de San Miguel (near Plaza Mayor) – even if you don’t go inside the market, just seeing the lovely cast-iron architecture from the outside is worth it. As it’s near Plaza Mayor, include it in your itinerary for that day.

Plaza de la Villa, Muslim Walls (near Plaza Mayor) – we didn’t make it here – we will save it for the next trip.

Plaza de Oriente Garden (by Royal Palace, near Plaza España) – this garden was lovely and located directly across the street from the Royal Palace. You could include it in your itinerary when you visit the Royal Palace of Madrid.

Temple of Debod (Ancient Egyptian Temple), C. de Ferraz, 1 (near Plaza de España) – get here right when it opens or be prepared to wait in a looooong line! We didn’t go inside as we didn’t want to wait in the line and felt that we could enjoy and observe enough from the outside. This Temple if right by Oeste Park so we highly suggest that you combine these two places. It’s also near Plaza España.

our favorite parks in madrid

Oeste Park (close to Templo Debod) – I adore this park! As you can probably guess, I love going to parks when we travel. This park is exquisite and has stunning views of the mountains and forest areas of Madrid. We really had no idea that Madrid was surrounded by so much lush forest land and had views of grand mountains. I really enjoyed this park as it’s farther away from the tourist areas and filled with locals and their families. I always enjoy observing daily local life while traveling.

Madrid Rio Park, P.º de la Ermita del Santo, 14 – another must-visit! This park is immense and I feel like we really got a chance to see how locals live in Madrid. This park is relaxing with historic monuments and interesting modern architecture entwined. 

Gran Via and Fuente de Cibeles (near Puerta de Alcalá) – I think when most people see photos of Madrid, it’s usually Gran Via. This road is bursting with opulent buildings with gorgeous architecture and a plethora of pedestrians. It truly is a “Gran Via!” Fuente de Cibeles is nearby and you should definitely take a photo of the fountain with Cibeles Palace behind it. And, we highly suggest that you walk by at night as the lights are illuminating and the palace is captivating.

Palacio de Cibeles mirador (near Bank of Spain) – if you want an amazing view of Gran Via, we suggest you go to this mirador. It’s truly gorgeous!

Malasaña district (near Plaza España) – this area is hip and overcrowded! We walked by quite a few times and it’s an interesting area to see, but it’s incredibly crowded.

Teatro de la Zarzuela – try to check out a show here to see the lush interior of the theater.

Parque de las Siete Tetas (best sunset view) C. de Ramón Pérez de Áyala, 12 – we ran out of time and didn’t get to venture to this park. From the reviews, it seems like an amazing park especially during the sunset. You can see the colossal 4 buildings from one of the hills.

fun self-guided tours in madrid – the best things to do in madrid, spain 

Explore Barrio de Las Letras – this area is ADORABLE! We loved walking around to read the quotes by famous authors and find out where they lived and wrote their books.

Do a self-guided street art tour – we walked to the Embajadores area and saw some incredible street art and murals. This is definitely one of my favorite activities while traveling to help get a sense of the place and the social struggles. We used this guide to find street art.

Flamenco show – this is a super fun flamenco show!

the most visited museums in madrid – the best things to do in madrid

Museo del Prado (FREE Sa 6-8pm, Su 5-7 p.m.), Reina Sofia (FREE Sa 7-9 p.m., Sa 12:30-2:30) – what can I say – we like to save money while traveling so we will have more to spend on vegan food. LOL – the awesome thing about Madrid is that they try to make art accessible to everyone by having free times to visit the museums. Make sure you go to their websites beforehand to secure your spot! If you don’t want to worry about not getting a free spot, you can skip the line and have a guided tour using this link: Museo del Prado skip-the-line tour.

Terraza del Sabatini (best rooftop views) Cta. de San Vicente, 16 (near Palacio Real) – we didn’t make it to this terraza, but it’s definitely on our list for the next visit to Madrid!

Affiliate links – this blog post contains Affiliate links, which means we will receive a small commission from anything that you book using our link. Please know that we ONLY recommend activities and places to stay that we love and would pay for ourselves.

where to stay in madrid

General list of Madrid places to stay

Our top recommendations:

1. Amazing location + beautiful room near Puerta del Sol
2. Large, comfy apartment in awesome location
3. Budget friendly hostel in great location
4. Affordable + luxurious stay in perfect downtown location
5. Hip Chueca area apartment

Booking.com

super fun paid activities to do in madrid – the best things to do in madrid, spain

1. Hop off/on bus around the city – this is a great way to get to know the city and save your feet from too much walking!
2. Teatro Zarzuela Opera show – this is the perfect way to check out a show at the famous Teatro Zarzuela
3. Segovia/Toledo day trip – if you have more time in the city, this is an awesome guided day trip.
4. 3 hour Madrid Bike Tour – how fun would this be? I’m definitely booking this for our next trip!
5. Tuk Tuk Tour of Madrid – this includes my favorite area – Barrio de las Letras!

 

 

THE 5 ITEMS WE WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOR OUR TRIP TO madrid:

1. Merrell women’s light hiking shoes – these are amazing because they are lightweight, but are extra grippy and helpful for all the walking in Madrid! I also have this pair that I always get compliments on: Merrell Rainbow shoes. Fernando loves his Asics trail runners which are also grippy and perfect for walking in Europe.
2. Thermoflask water bottle – like a Hydroflask, but more affordable! We don’t go anywhere without these water bottles full of purified water.
3. North Face Aphrodite 2.0 capris – I seriously wear these pants every.single.day! I couldn’t live without these ultra-comfy, lightweight pants that dry so quickly. They are 100% worth the money!
4. Osprey Day Pack – this is an awesome lightweight backpack that we can easily put the belongings we need at hand for traveling around the city and on public transportation.
5. FLASH SALE ON IBERIA – find an affordable flight to/from Madrid with Iberia!<Flash Offers Iberia US & LATAM/li>

This was our post about the best things to do in Madrid, Spain. Have you been to Madrid? What was your favorite thing about it? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!